I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1420 

To establish a commission to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the 

American Civil War. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 7, 2011 

Mr. JACKSON of Illinois (for himself and Ms. MOORE) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government 

Reform 

A BILL 

To establish a commission to commemorate the 

sesquicentennial of the American Civil War. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Civil War Sesqui5 centennial Commission Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find8 ings: 

9 (1) The American Civil War was a defining ex10 perience in the development of the United States. 


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1 (2) The people of the United States continue to 

2 struggle with issues of race, civil rights, heritage, 

3 and the politics of federalism, which are legacies of 

4 the Civil War and Reconstruction. 

5 (3) There is a resurgence of interest in the Civil 

6 War that is evidenced by the multitude of publica7 tions, exhibits, reenactments, research organizations, 

8 Internet and multimedia resources, historic parks, 

9 and preservation associations focused on the Civil 

10 War. 

11 (4) The years 2010 through 2015 mark the ses12 quicentennial of the period beginning with the elec13 tion of Abraham Lincoln and concluding with the 

14 end of the Civil War. Notable milestones during this 

15 period include the following: 

16 (A) On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lin17 coln was elected President of the United States. 

18 (B) On December 20, 1860, in a special 

19 convention, the South Carolina Legislature 

20 voted to secede from the Union following the 

21 election of Lincoln. In the early months of the 

22 following year, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, 

23 Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas seceded and 

24 formed the Confederate States of America. 


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1 (C) In April 1861, Confederate forces fired 

2 on Fort Sumter, the first shots fired in the 

3 Civil War. In response, President Lincoln or4 dered the blockade of all Confederate ports and 

5 called for 75,000 volunteers to enlist in the 

6 Union Army. Four more Southern States—Vir7 ginia, Arkansas, Tennessee and North Caro8 lina—seceded in the months following the at9 tack on Fort Sumter. 

10 (D) The Civil War spawned numerous 

11 campaigns, battles, and engagements, including 

12 Bull Run, the Monitor versus the Merrimac, the 

13 Peninsula Campaign, Shiloh, the Capture of 

14 New Orleans, the Shenandoah Valley Cam15 paign, Seven Pines, Seven Days, Antietam, 

16 Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, 

17 the Siege of Vicksburg, Chickamauga, Chat18 tanooga, Wilderness, the Siege at Petersburg, 

19 the Capture of Atlanta, the March to the Sea, 

20 Nashville, and Appomattox. 

21 (E) In January 1863, President Lincoln 

22 issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing 

23 all slaves in States considered to be in rebellion 

24 against the Federal Government. 


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1 (F) On June 28, 1864, President Lincoln 

2 repealed all fugitive slave laws. 

3 (G) On January 31, 1865, the United 

4 States Congress passed the 13th Amendment to 

5 the Constitution, abolishing slavery and invol6 untary servitude. 

7 (H) On April 9, 1865, Confederate General 

8 Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox 

9 Courthouse. 

10 (I) On April 14, 1865, President Lincoln 

11 was shot by Confederate sympathizer John 

12 Wilkes Booth while attending a play at Ford’s 

13 Theater, and died the next day. 

14 (J) In April and May 1865, Confederate 

15 Generals Joseph Johnson and E. Kirby Smith, 

16 leaders of the remaining organized Confederate 

17 Forces, surrendered, formally ending the South18 ern Resistance. 

19 (K) By the end of the Civil War, an esti20 mated 600,000 Union and Confederate soldiers 

21 had been killed and over 471,000 wounded, 

22 making the Civil War the bloodiest war in the 

23 history of our Nation. 

24 (5) The sesquicentennial of the Civil War pre25 sents a significant opportunity for Americans to reVerDate Mar 15 2010 21:46 Apr 08, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1420.IH H1420

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1 call and reflect upon all aspects of that conflict and 

2 its legacy in a spirit of reconciliation and honest re3 flection, through exploration, interpretation, and dis4 cussion. 

5 (6) The sesquicentennial of the Civil War pre6 sents a significant opportunity to preserve and pro7 mote the remaining battlefields and historic sites re8 lating to the Civil War before the battlefields and 

9 sites are lost to future generations. 

10 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to estab11 lish a Civil War Sesquicentennial Commemoration Com12 mission to— 

13 (1) ensure a suitable national observance of the 

14 sesquicentennial of the Civil War that includes rec15 ognition of the historic, social, legal, cultural, and 

16 political forces that caused the American Civil War 

17 and influenced its course and outcomes; 

18 (2) explore the causes of the Civil War to gain 

19 a better understanding of the reasons that the demo20 cratic framework of the United States failed to re21 solve the sectional issues without resorting to war; 

22 (3) fully examine and reflect upon the con23 sequences of the Civil War, subjects which Congress 

24 directed the National Park Service to address in Na25 tional Park Service programs and materials beginVerDate Mar 15 2010 21:46 Apr 08, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1420.IH H1420

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1 ning in 1999, including the Reconstruction era and 

2 the aftermath, the subsequent constriction of equal 

3 rights for African-American citizens, and the ulti4 mate achievement of civil rights for the descendants 

5 of enslaved peoples almost a century later; 

6 (4) collaborate with and assist States and na7 tional organizations with programs and activities for 

8 the observance of the sesquicentennial of the Civil 

9 War; 

10 (5) assist in ensuring that any observance of 

11 the sesquicentennial of the Civil War is inclusive and 

12 appropriately recognizes the experiences and points 

13 of view of all people affected by the Civil War; and 

14 (6) provide assistance for the development of 

15 programs, projects, and activities on the Civil War 

16 that have lasting educational value. 

17 SEC. 3. CIVIL WAR SESQUICENTENNIAL COMMEMORATION 

18 COMMISSION. 

19 The Secretary of the Interior shall establish a com20 mission to be known as the Civil War Sesquicentennial 

21 Commemoration Commission (hereafter in this Act re22 ferred to as the ‘‘Commission’’). 

23 SEC. 4. COMPOSITION OF THE COMMISSION. 

24 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall be com25 posed of 25 members as follows: 


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1 (1) GOVERNMENT MEMBERS.—The Commission 

2 shall include— 

3 (A) 2 Members of the Senate appointed by 

4 the President pro tempore of the Senate, in 

5 consultation with the majority leader and the 

6 minority leader of the Senate; 

7 (B) 2 Members of the House of Represent8 atives appointed by the Speaker of the House of 

9 Representatives, in consultation with the minor10 ity leader of the House; 

11 (C) the Secretary of the Interior or the 

12 designee of the Secretary; 

13 (D) the Secretary of the Smithsonian In14 stitution, or the designee of the Secretary; 

15 (E) the Secretary of Education, or the des16 ignee of the Secretary; 

17 (F) the Secretary of Defense, or the des18 ignee of the Secretary; 

19 (G) the Chairman of the National Endow20 ment for the Humanities, or the designee of the 

21 Chairman; 

22 (H) the Chairman of the National Endow23 ment of the Arts, or the designee of the Chair24 man; 


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1 (I) the Archivist of the United States, or 

2 the designee of the Archivist; 

3 (J) the Librarian of Congress, or the des4 ignee of the Librarian; and 

5 (K) the Director of the National Park 

6 Service, or the designee of the Director. 

7 (2) PRIVATE MEMBERS.—The Commission shall 

8 include— 

9 (A) 5 members appointed by the President 

10 from among individuals who are representative 

11 of the corporate and nonprofit communities; 

12 and 

13 (B) 7 individuals appointed by the Presi14 dent from among persons who by reason of edu15 cation, training, and experience, are experts on 

16 the Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction 

17 eras and the preservation, interpretation, and 

18 presentation of those eras to the public, includ19 ing— 

20 (i) 5 individuals with expertise in his21 tory or related academic disciplines ger22 mane to the Civil War, including— 

23 (I) individuals representing the 

24 museum community, in particular his25 tory museums and historical societies, 


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1 such as the National Civil War Mu2 seum; 

3 (II) individuals with expertise in 

4 art history, historic preservation, or a 

5 related field; 

6 (III) individuals with expertise in 

7 anthropology, cultural geography, so8 ciology, or a related field; and 

9 (IV) individuals with expertise in 

10 political science, law, economics, or a 

11 related field; 

12 (ii) 1 individual with expertise in the 

13 preservation of Civil War historic sites and 

14 battlefields; and 

15 (iii) 1 individual representing State 

16 Civil War sesquicentennial efforts. 

17 (b) TERMS.— 

18 (1) GOVERNMENT MEMBERS.—If any member 

19 of the Commission who was appointed as an officer 

20 designated under subsection (a)(1) leaves such of21 fice, the member may continue as a member of the 

22 Commission for not longer than the 30-day period 

23 beginning on the date the member leaves such office. 


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1 (2) PRIVATE MEMBERS.—Private members 

2 under subsection (a)(2) shall be appointed for the 

3 life of the Commission. 

4 (c) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the Commission 

5 shall not affect its powers, and shall be filled in the same 

6 manner as the original appointment. 

7 (d) INITIAL APPOINTMENTS.—The appointment of 

8 the members of the Commission shall be made not later 

9 than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

10 SEC. 5. GENERAL PROVISIONS. 

11 (a) MEETINGS.— 

12 (1) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 60 days 

13 after the date on which all members of the Commis14 sion have been appointed, the members appointed 

15 under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 4(a)(2) 

16 shall call the first meeting of the Commission. 

17 (2) SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS.—The Commission 

18 shall hold subsequent meetings at the call of the 

19 Chairperson. 

20 (b) CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIRPERSON.—At the 

21 initial meeting, the Commission shall elect a Chairperson 

22 and a Vice Chairperson from among its voting members. 

23 (c) QUORUM.—A majority of voting members shall 

24 constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold meet25 ings. 


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1 (d) VOTING.— 

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall act 

3 only on an affirmative vote of a majority of the vot4 ing members of the Commission. 

5 (2) NONVOTING MEMBERS.—The individuals 

6 appointed under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of sec7 tion 4(a)(1) shall be nonvoting members, and shall 

8 serve only in an advisory capacity. 

9 SEC. 6. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION. 

10 (a) ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE SESQUICENTEN11 NIAL.—The Commission shall— 

12 (1) plan, develop, and carry out programs and 

13 activities appropriate to commemorate the sesqui14 centennial of the Civil War, including activities in 

15 recognition of the historic, social, legal, cultural, and 

16 political forces that— 

17 (A) caused the Civil War; and 

18 (B) influenced the course and outcomes of 

19 the Civil War; 

20 (2) encourage interdisciplinary examination of 

21 the Civil War; 

22 (3) facilitate Civil War-related activities 

23 throughout the United States; 

24 (4) encourage civic, historical, educational, eco25 nomic, preservation, and other organizations 


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1 throughout the United States to organize and par2 ticipate in activities to expand the understanding 

3 and appreciation of the significance of the Civil War; 

4 (5) coordinate and facilitate the public distribu5 tion of scholarly research, publications, and interpre6 tations of the Civil War; 

7 (6) coordinate with and provide technical assist8 ance to States, units of local government, and non9 profit organizations (including State and local ses10 quicentennial commemoration entities) to further the 

11 commemoration of the sesquicentennial of the Civil 

12 War; 

13 (7) coordinate and facilitate commemoration ac14 tivities of Federal agencies relating to the sesqui15 centennial of the Civil War; 

16 (8) develop programs and facilities to ensure 

17 that the sesquicentennial commemoration of the 

18 Civil War results in a positive legacy and long-term 

19 public benefit; 

20 (9) encourage and facilitate the preservation of 

21 Civil War historic sites and battlefields as a lasting 

22 legacy of the sesquicentennial commemoration; 

23 (10) plan, develop, and carry out programs and 

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1 dations, and corporations for sesquicentennial activi2 ties at the national level; 

3 (11) at its discretion, provide funds to State 

4 and local programs to carry out activities that ad5 vance the goals of the Commission; and 

6 (12) encourage the development and conduct of 

7 programs designed to involve the international com8 munity in activities that commemorate the Civil 

9 War. 

10 (b) PLANS AND REPORT.— 

11 (1) STRATEGIC PLAN AND ANNUAL PERFORM12 ANCE PLANS.—The Commission shall prepare a 

13 strategic plan in accordance with section 306 of title 

14 5, United States Code, and annual performance 

15 plans in accordance with section 1115 of title 31, 

16 United States Code, for the activities of the Com17 mission carried out under this Act. 

18 (2) REPORTS.— 

19 (A) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Commission 

20 shall submit to Congress an annual report that 

21 contains a list of each gift, bequest, or devise 

22 with a value of more than $250, together with 

23 the identity of the donor of each such gift, be24 quest, or devise. 


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1 (B) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than Sep2 tember 30, 2016, the Commission shall submit 

3 to Congress a final report that contains— 

4 (i) a summary of activities of the 

5 Commission; 

6 (ii) a final accounting of funds re7 ceived and expended by the Commission; 

8 and 

9 (iii) the findings and recommenda10 tions of the Commission. 

11 SEC. 7. GRANT PROGRAM. 

12 (a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The Chairman of the 

13 National Endowment for the Humanities shall award 

14 grants under this section for the uses described in sub15 section (b). 

16 (b) USE OF GRANTS.—Grants awarded under this 

17 section shall be used for appropriate activities relating to 

18 the sesquicentennial of the Civil War. 

19 (c) CONSIDERATION.—In awarding grants under this 

20 section, the Chairman of the National Endowment of the 

21 Humanities shall consider and give priority to programs 

22 carried out by institutions of higher education, museums, 

23 nonprofit organizations, professional associations, and 

24 State sesquicentennial commissions with a national scope, 

25 that support the duties of the Commission described in 


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1 section 6, including programs that concentrate on the role 

2 of African-Americans in the Civil War. 

3 SEC. 8. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION. 

4 The Commission may, for the purpose of carrying out 

5 this Act— 

6 (1) solicit, accept, use and dispose of gifts, be7 quests, or devises of money or property, both real 

8 and personal, for the purpose of aiding or facili9 tating the work of the Commission; 

10 (2) authorize any voting member or employee of 

11 the Commission to take any action that the Commis12 sion is authorized to take under this Act; 

13 (3) procure supplies, services, and property, and 

14 make or enter into contracts, leases, or other legal 

15 agreements to carry out this Act (except that any 

16 contracts, leases, or other legal agreements entered 

17 into by the Commission shall not extend beyond the 

18 date of the termination of the Commission); and 

19 (4) use the United States mails in the same 

20 manner and under the same conditions as other 

21 Federal agencies. 

22 SEC. 9. PERSONNEL MATTERS. 

23 (a) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—Members of the 

24 Commission shall serve without compensation. 


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1 (b) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Members of the Commis2 sion shall be allowed, as the Secretary of the Interior de3 termines appropriate to carry out this Act, travel ex4 penses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates 

5 authorized for an employee of an agency under subchapter 

6 I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away 

7 from the home or regular place of business of the member 

8 in the performance of the duties of the Commission. 

9 (c) STAFF.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Chairperson may ap11 point a Director and such additional staff as are 

12 necessary to enable the Commission to perform its 

13 duties. 

14 (2) CONFIRMATION OF DIRECTOR.—The ap15 pointment of the Director shall be subject to the ap16 proval of the Commission. 

17 (3) COMPENSATION.— 

18 (A) NONAPPLICABILITY OF CIVIL SERVICE

19 LAWS.—Except as provided in subparagraph 

20 (B), the Director and staff may be appointed 

21 without regard to the provisions of title 5, 

22 United States Code, governing appointments in 

23 the competitive service, and may be paid with24 out regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and 

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1 ing to classification and General Schedule pay 

2 rates. 

3 (B) MAXIMUM RATE OF PAY.—The rate of 

4 pay for the Director and other staff shall not 

5 exceed the rate payable for level V of the Exec6 utive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, 

7 United States Code. 

8 (d) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.—At the 

9 request of the Commission, the head of any Federal agen10 cy may detail, on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis, 

11 any of the personnel of the agency to the Commission to 

12 assist the Commission in carrying out the duties of the 

13 Commission under this Act. 

14 (e) SUPPORT SERVICES.—Upon the request of the 

15 Commission, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through 

16 the Director of the National Park Service, shall provide 

17 to the Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the adminis18 trative support services necessary for the Commission to 

19 carry out its responsibilities under this Act. 

20 (f) VOLUNTEER AND UNCOMPENSATED SERVICES.— 

21 Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, United States 

22 Code, the Commission may accept and use voluntary and 

23 uncompensated services as the Commission determines 

24 necessary. 


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1 (g) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTERMIT2 TENT SERVICES.—The Chairperson of the Commission 

3 may procure temporary and intermittent services under 

4 section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at daily 

5 rates for individuals which do not exceed the daily equiva6 lent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level 

7 V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such 

8 title. 

9 (h) NONAPPLICABILITY OF CHARTER REQUIRE10 MENT.—Section 14(b) of the Federal Advisory Committee 

11 Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Commission. 

12 (i) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate 

13 on the date that is 90 days after the date on which the 

14 Commission submits its final report under section 6(b)(2). 

15 SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro17 priated to carry out this Act (other than section 7) 

18 $500,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2016. 

19 (b) GRANTS.—There is authorized to be appropriated 

20 $3,500,000 to the National Endowment for the Human21 ities to provide grants under section 7, to remain available 

22 until expended. 

Æ 


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